You’ve probably been in that situation where your dog is just bored and doesn’t know what to do. Or maybe you haven’t had the chance to take them for a walk and play with them that day. What you’re looking for is a puzzle toy, an interactive dog toy where your dog must do something to get the rewards. Well, we have our top 5 puzzle toys that we recommend to you! Of course, please note that there are many other fantastic puzzle toys out there, but we are just listing ones we find good.
Puzzle toys aren’t something for your dog to have all-day every day, but they are a fun thing for your pooch to have every now and again. The most common ones have puzzles your dog has to figure out to reach the treats that you provided.
Nina Ottosson Challenge Slider
We honestly recommend all of Nina Ottosson’s dog toys, but this one is a favourite. The challenge slider is a well-made puzzle where your dog must slide tiles to unveil different spaces which have treats in. You can pull out the tray from the puzzle to fill compartments with treats of your choice. You can also easily clean this which is a helpful bonus.
Nina Ottosson’s dog toys are grouped into 4 different levels. 1 being easy, 2 is medium, 3 is advanced and 4 is expert. This specific puzzle is level 3 so is better for more intelligent dogs or ones that have had experience with puzzle toys in the past. If you don’t think this sort of level puzzle would suit your dog, there are many easier puzzles that you can find.
Another one of our favourites, the Nina Ottosson Mulitpuzzle is a level 4 challenge for your dog where they have two different components to complete. The easier section is the outside ring of square tiles which your dog must slide to reach the treats – like the challenge slider. The harder section is the part in the middle where they must slide and rotate parts to reach rewards.
Again, you can fill this with any treats you like whether it be their food or something even more delicious! With these puzzles, you can also fill them with something like yoghurt & treats or water and treats and then freeze them to make a longer lasting challenge for your pooch.
Another one of our favourite brands is KONG who make good quality, fun dog toys and treats. The Kong Tikr is very clever with a 45-minute timer where it will rotate through small holes to eventually the big one.
This toy is great for your dog to roll which will be something easy for them to do and complete with the smaller holes also making it a challenge for them to get the treats out. All the parts twist off, so the main treat area is easy to clean.
Our favourite part about this is that even with the rotating mechanisms, there are no batteries! So, this product is very safe for your dog and can provide them with loads of fun.
These may not be classified as a toy, but we would call them a treat that your dog is going to love! Lickimats are fantastic for dogs and cats and can really calm them. Licking with their tongue can calm dogs and this treat is beneficial for them because it gives them a stimulating and soothing thing to lick. There are many different products offered by lickimat like Tuff, Playdate and Buddy but one of the classics is Lickimat Soother.
This mat has a pattern surface that you spread some treats on and then your dog takes their time licking it off. Some of our favourite things to put on the lickimats is yoghurt and peanut butter. The Lickimat website also recommends spreads, fruit purees, bone broth and liquid food.
You can get snuffle mats from so many different places, in so many different colours and so many different patterns. They are good for putting your dog’s nose to work.
Snuffle mats are made from fabric and have lots of ruffles and folds for you to sprinkle in and hide some treats. Then your dog gets sniffing and tries to find them with their nose. This activity really stimulates their brain and gives them a great activity to complete.
Notes
- Please note that the level 4 Nina Ottosson puzzles may not be suited for your dog, so please check out her website for something a little easier if you think this is too hard of a challenge.
- All products on this list can be found in many other places online, we are just showing you their official websites.